Deceptive Innocence
by darkangel333
Summary: Sometimes things...people...are not always as they seem.


Title: Deceptive Innocence

Summary: Sometimes things...people...are not always as they seem...

Type: LOTR

Characters: OCs, Legolas, Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, Arwen, Tharanduil

Ocs: Angel - Chael (means: celectial, angelic - Latin origin) white-robe; silver hair, sky-blue eyes, very fair skin

Demon - Laraine (means: sorrowful - Latin origin) black-robe; black hair, black eyes, light skin

Elf maid - Maeve (means: Goddess of song - Celtic origin) green-robe; blonde hair, green eyes, normal skin

Maiden - Emlyn (means: brave and noble warrior - Welsh origin) blue-robe; brown hair, midnight-blue eyes, tan skin

Chapter Title: And So We First Meet

Chapter Summary: Legolas and the twins are returning torest in Imladris after a month-long Orc hunt when they meet a group of cloaked, wounded men wanding along the borders of Imladris. Upon being healed, secrets are uncovered that their owners would have let lie...

Story:

Legolas yawned. "Elrohi-ir! I'm tired! Come one, we're almost to Imladris...you don't have to bathe RIGHT NOW." he whined, leaning against a tree, Elladan at his side.

"Too bad for you, then. If you truly are so tired, then fall asleep at the base of the tree and be done with it. I'm filthy and I'm fairly sure that I want to at least look slightly acceptable."

"Uh, 'Ro, hate to rain on your parade and all, but...our father rules Imladris. You really shouldn't care about being clean when you're a royal and have servants to draw a bath for you." said Elladan, not moving.

"Hey, don't go too hard on the servants! They're nice people!"

"I know that, 'Ro," said Elladan patiently, "but the idea that you would rather bathe in a cold stream than in a steaming hot tub cannot make itself known to my imagination. Call me narrow-minded, but I just can't grasp the concept."

"What, you mean you've spent over five thousand years as a warrior and you still can't bear to bathe in a simple stream? Even one that you know to be clean?"

"Of course I've bathed in a stream; what Elf hasn't? But the fact of the matter, dear brother, is that there is a perfectly good bath to be found about fifteen minutes' ride from here, and I see no sense in bathing here when I'm going to bathe again there anyway."

Legolas let a chuckle escape him as the twins continued their banter. They never ceased to argue and disaggree over the slightest things; if he had not known them since they were Elflings, he would have said that they hated each other. If they had said the insults they threw at each other to any person in passing, they would have been greatly offended. However, the twins knew banter from truth, so it passed accordingly over the years.

When Legolas looked down again (he had been staring at the leaf patterns in the oak above him as it whispered to him), Elrohir was dressed and getting ready to set out again. Without so much as a single noise, he and Elldan rose swiftly to their feet. Elladan threw his arms above his head and stretched his slim pale fingertips twoards the sun. Legolas wriggled his arms slightly, letting out the final and last remaining tensions of the previous two-day ride.

They had not ridden even five minutes than Elrohir pulled to a stop once more and dismounted. Elladan and Legolas shared a glance; something was wrong. Elrohir stated what he was doing before dismounting, unless it was dangerous. They, too, slid from their saddles, Elladan's sword loose in his saddle and Legolas' hand ready to reach for an arrow.

"No weapons are needed," Elrohir said, his back still to them, "for there is no enemy. But I think...that a battle was fought here, though I cannot tell by whom or what. This set of prints," he said as he indicated a large, lopsided fork shaped print," I am not familiar with, but the other I think I recognize. There were either Elflings and mortal children here or emaciated and worn-torn adults. The prints are shallow and quick-paced. Someone light on their feet.

"Here the thing with the strange print struck a blow...I believe there were at least three, maybe four, human or Elf creatures here...here three sets of tracks move onward. One vanishes in the middle of the clearing, one runs into the forest, and one leads into the valley.

"One set of human prints is left, however. I think whoever it was was skilled with a sword, which leads me to believe that they were perhaps a lost group of Elves from goblin raids or Orc-battles who were starving.

"And here...blood."

He pointed to a spot on the ground where blood, though dried, must have once lain; it was as though it stained the earth. A few feet away there was a strong, strong scent of something bizzare, something ever-so-remotely like charred flesh. Ashes swirled at the lightest breeze. Suddenly, from a tree about fifty feet away, Legolas saw movement.

A figure in a dark green, thin cloak which completely covered the face and body stood in front of them. It was short, by male standards; only about 5'5, give or take half an inch or two. The figure was slim, if the robe was anything to be judged by. A bow and an empty quiver were slung around its shoulders. "Who are you?" Legolas called to the figure.

It gave a slight tremor and took a shaky and unsteady breath, as though unsure whether it could breathe or not. It spoak in a hoarse harsh tone that was low and slightly croaking. "My name, my buisness, are my own, and I feel that you have no intent to pry. Please, have pity. My three companions and I have fought a creature from a nightmare, and I do not know whether they are alive or dead..."

"Bring us to them and we shall do what we can." Elladan said. The figure motioned for them to follow it as it jumped into the tree it hadcome down from. They followed, springing lightly upon the branch. The man (for that is how they thought of him now) led them a little way away from the valley to a smaller, more secluded clearing. They saw three cloaked figures also lying on green moss.

The first that they approached wore a white robe that was smeared with red; Elladan averted his eyes as did Legolas as Elrohir felt for the pulse. "This one holds on to life by a thread." He looked up at the man. "Are all your friends your gender?"

"Yes." he replied.

"How long have you been without food?"

"Long...I lost count. We have traveled from Lothlorien to here on food supplies meant to journey from Bree to Imladris, which we were searching for. Yet after a week with no more than a scant bite of food and a mouthful of water, we could barely remember who we were, much less destination or our road. So we wandered in the wild far longer than we should have. Judging by the moons, we have been roaming the land between Lothlorien and wherever here is for about two months."

"You lived for two months on food that was meant for a week's journey?"

"Yes. Mainly lembas, but also fruit and bread and water."

"And yet, how do you come to be here? What did you fight?"

"Some questions have answers which I hold dear to my heart and which I will not reveal."

"As you wish it, sir."

Elrohir then turned his attention to the next figure. This one was robed in all black. Darker splotches were visible here and there. After a brief pulse check, Elrohir moved on to the last one. He wore dark blue robes. As Elrohir bent over him, Legolas went and stood near the green-cloaked man.

"You do not show your face. Is there a reason that you are willing to give me?"

"I will not sacrifice that information willingly, nor can I speak for my comrades."

"I will accept that. Can you tell me this? How is it that you are in a stable condition when they are..well.."

"Dying?"

"Aye."

"I fled, as a coward does, to the trees when the battle was at its worst. The other two left soon after under orders from our captain...but I was the first to leave and therefore in a concious state when he - it - was finally dead. After I concealed my friends here, I burned the foul beast's carcass. Hence the ashes. I know healing well, but I knew that either I did not have the materials or if I did I was too dulled from lack of food, sleep, and water to remember its uses.

"So I attended to my needs first, selfish as it seems. But after I found a clean spring and a fruit tree, I came to my senses. I used extra cloth to bandage their wounds and I washed their bodies. I managed to get them to swallow some food by rubbing their throats. I had to be content with that because more materials were not at my hands."

"I see. I do not believe that you were cowardly or selfish. Indeed, you are seemingly an archer; retiring to the trees would have given you better shots, and I believed I saw arrow tips glinting at me from underneath the mound of gray ash. And you certainly were not selfish; you knew how to treat the situation and you acted wisely upon your knowledge."

"Now that I have answered your question, may I ask one in return?"

"That seems only fair."

"Who are you? Where are we?"

"I am Legolas Tharanduillion, and you are in the place of your destination - Imladris."

"You are a prince then. Your companions?"

"The sons of Elrond."

"Elladan and Elrohir, I presume."

"I was not aware that he had other sons."

"He has Estel."

"Ah, yes."

Elrohir and Elladan interrupted. "They are alive, but will not remain so for much longer; indeed, it is strange, for their wounds seen staunched and they seem to have been fed herbs and a mix to induce their stamina." Elrohir said. he looked ta the green cloaked man. Why is this?"

"Me. I know something of healing and fed it to them."

"A wise move. Legs, El, go back to the other clearing and bring our horses here. Quickly, for we must get them to my father soon." The blonde and the other peredhil nodded and dashed away. Elrohir turned back to the man. "Will you help me pick them up when the horses arrive?"

A nod from the man. "Of course."

A few short moments later, the clear sounds of horses was heard and the two stumbled into the clearing, the three horses close behind. As Elrohir and Elladan swung themselves into the saddles, Legolas lifted the blue-robed man to Elrohir as the green-robed man lifted his white-robed companion to Elladan. Legolas swung up onto his mount as the green-robed man carried the black-robed man to him. As Legolas took the black-robed man, he heard a small, barely-audible gasp. He looked to the green-robed man. "You're injured!" he cried, watching a red pool spread from his shoulder.

"Nothing serious." he croaked, jumping up lightly onto the horse besides Legolas. Although Legolas was hesitant, he realized that getting the more seriously injured to safety was his first priority. And so he spurred his horse, along with the twins', toward Imladris.

Elrond ran a pale, silm hand through his black hair. Letting out a pent up, gusty sigh, he leaned back in his chair. Why, why, why did office work have to be both tedious AND boring! Couldn't anyone come and rescue him from his misery?

As though responding to his thought, Glorfindel burst through his door at top speed. "The twins are here," he announed breathlessy, "and they brought guests."

"Guests? What guests?"

"According to the short versions that I got from the two of them and Legolas, they saw evidence of a huge battle. A man in a green cloak with a hooded face led them to his friends, who were all severly wounded. He turns out to also be wounded in several places. What the battle was fought against was not clear."

Glorfindel confided all this as he and Elrond made a mad dash down the long, twisting corridors of Imladris to the Healing Room, where the visitors now lay. Legolas was gingerly touching a man in a green cloak's shoulder as Elladan and Elrohir finished laying the other three in beds. Elrond walked to a table and tossed the green-cloaked man a tablet.

"Take it." he instructed. The man nodded. He quickly downed the small light blue pill.

"Come my sons, we must inspect their wounds. Legolas, you may also remain." he added over his shoulder. The blonde nodded.

Elrond approached the one with the white robe first. He pulled back the hood...and jumped back. "What?" Legolas demanded, the twins equally curoius. "This...this is no male."

"What!"

Elrond stepped back to allow them to view the face. The hair was silver, glimmering lightly in the light. It was straight, as most Elves' hair was.


End file.
